So we've heard the Queen's Speech - what happens next?

Iain Lynn

Theresa May has outlined her minority Government's proposed legislative programme for the new parliamentary session.

:: What happens next?

A six-day debate on the Queen's Speech will take place in the Commons, concluding on June 29. Votes on proposed amendments to the speech will be considered on June 28 and June 29.

The House of Lords will spend five days debating the speech but peers rarely vote on it.

If the Government loses a vote on its Queen's Speech in the Commons, it could be interpreted as being - in effect - a vote of no confidence in its programme.

:: How does the Government bring forward laws?

The title of a Bill is read out before its general principles are debated during a debate known as second reading. The Opposition may seek to kill the Bill by tabling a motion to deny it a second reading.

The proposed law is then debated at committee, where amendments are discussed and can be voted upon. It then progresses through a further stage, known as report, where amendments can also be made.

Third reading is to approve the Bill as a whole. If approved, it will then progress - depending on which chamber it was first introduced - to either the Commons or Lords to undergo the same process of scrutiny.

:: What is the current state of the parties in Parliament?

The Prime Minister lacks an overall majority as the Conservatives have 317 of the 650 MPs.

Labour has 262 MPs although it is expected this number will reduce by two in order to provide impartial deputy speakers to assist Speaker John Bercow - with the Tories also losing a further MP to provide someone for the role.

Mrs May's chances of winning votes are improved by the seven Sinn Fein MPs not taking their seats although she is expected to require Democratic Unionist Party support to have a chance of making progress. The DUP has 10 MPs.

:: What challenges does Mrs May face?

How easy it is to pass a piece of legislation depends on how contentious it is. The various stages are usually spread out over several weeks, giving MPs and peers the chance to assess it and to consider amendments.

If Mrs May's party proposes something which annoys Tory MPs and unites the Opposition, she will struggle to get it approved and it could be amended several times to the point where it no longer resembles its original intention.

The Government can always seek to overturn these, but will struggle without a majority.

Governments in recent years have very rarely lost votes on their own proposals but this is something which is expected to occur more frequently.

Mrs May's lack of support from the public could also make it easier for the Lords, where the Tories are heavily outnumbered, to block measures they are not happy with.

The previous government suffered a series of defeats in the Lords and sought to either compromise or wait for peers to relent. Such parliamentary warfare could delay the progress of a proposed law or ruin it entirely.

:: How will the Government approach the issue?

As every vote will count, it will be expected to have a strong whipping operation to ensure its MPs attend each vote and are not elsewhere.

They will seek to bring on board opposition MPs who are eurosceptic and to not alienate those Tories who are pro-EU when it comes to Brexit matters.

The challenge faced by the Tories also depends on how united the opposition are - and whether Labour, the SNP and others are prepared to work together.